Ah, Christmas. It’s the time when families either gather or avoid each other, but we all agree on one thing: movies fit in there somewhere. Some start immersing themselves in the reason for the cinematic season the day after Halloween, others at Thanksgiving, and the rest as soon as the calendar tips into December. Still, as sure as Rudolph’s nose is red, we all meet up in front of a screen with a warm glow and ridiculous grin that we’re shoveling festive snacks into and binge Christmas movies.
While Hollywood continues to provide audiences with festive films, not all of them make the top of the box office nice list, or some are streaming exclusives, so sadly, there is no place at the potluck for the highly recommended Netflix’s Klaus, Krampus, Bad Santa, Violent Night, Jingle All the Way or Scrooged. Even The Nightmare Before Christmas, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and The Muppet Christmas Carol fail to crack the top ten.
Regardless, here’s the list of the top ten highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time. No, before you ask, we’re not including Die Hard. Yes, I believe it’s a Christmas movie, but I don’t make the rules.
These Are The 10 Highest-Grossing Christmas Movies Of All Time
At number ten, we have The Santa Clause. Released in theaters in 1994, it grossed $190.5 million worldwide and $145.5 million domestically. The Tim Allen comedy spawned a lucrative film franchise and a TV show. Additionally, The Santa Clause reunited Allen with fellow Home Improvement alum director John Pasquin. Now a festive favorite and something of a calling card for Allen, along with the Toy Story movies, he wasn’t the first choice for the role. Bill Murray and Chevy Chase were reportedly offered the part, but both turned it down.
2006’s The Holiday lands at number nine. This was not a domestic hit, grossing only $63.2 million domestic, but it pulled in $205.8 million at the worldwide box office against an $85 million budget. The romantic home-swapping comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black has become a classic since its release, but critics were lukewarm when it was released. Directed by Nancy Meyers, who also made The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride, and The Intern, also got her friend, legendary actor Dustin Hoffman, to make an uncredited cameo in the video rental store scene, which features a nod to his film, The Graduate.
‘Elf’ Makes The List Of The Highest-Grossing Christmas Movies
Eighth place goes to Elf. This 2003 seasonal comedy grossed $227.3 million worldwide and $178 million at the domestic box office and is hailed as a modern classic. In one of his most iconic roles, Will Ferrell plays Buddy Hobbs, an eccentric human raised by Santa’s Christmas elves, who heads to New York City to meet his biological father, played by James Caan. The cast also includes Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Faizon Love, and Peter Dinklage. Written a decade earlier, Chris Farley and Jim Carrey were originally candidates to play Buddy, but SNL alum Ferrell eventually won the role. And that classic scene in Elf where Buddy screams out “Santa!” was totally improvised.
Released the same year as Elf, Love Actually occupies the seventh spot in the top ten with a worldwide gross of $248 million worldwide. Only $59.6 million of that was earned at domestic movie theaters. Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson, to name just a few, all have key roles in these ten interlinked stories of love. Aside from being a great romantic dramedy, Love Actually is also notable for an early appearance by Gavin and Stacey’s Joanna Page.
‘The Polar Express’ Boards The List Of Highest -Grossing Christmas Movies
Director Robert Zemekis’ animated Christmas fantasy adventure The Polar Express is arriving in sixth place. The groundbreaking 2004 film from the Here director uses actors to play multiple human characters using live action and motion capture effects. Set on Christmas Eve, it tells the story of a young boy who sees a mysterious train bound for the North Pole stop outside his window, and he is invited aboard by its Conductor, played by Tom Hanks, who also voices the boy’s father, the Conductor, an unhoused man, Santa and more. Yeah, it’s creepy, and it looks a bit dated now, but the box office doesn’t lie, and it grossed $316.8 million worldwide.
Another of the Death Becomes Her, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Contact, Forrest Gump, and Back to the Future director’s motion capture movies lands at number five. A Christmas Carol grossed $325.2 million worldwide, with $137.8 million of that from domestic audiences. Critics didn’t love it, but audiences turned out in their droves. Released in theaters in 3D in 2009, A Christmas Carol was Disney’s third film retelling of the classic story following 1983’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol and 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol. As Tom Hanks had done in The Polar Express, Jim Carrey voiced multiple characters, including Ebenezer Scrooge.
‘The Grinch’ Steals Fourth Place On The Highest-Grossing Christmas Movies List
Jim Carrey makes his second and final appearance in the top ten thanks to Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Director Ron Howard’s Christmas fantasy, based on the Dr. Seuss character and 1957 story of the same name, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025. The film, which starred Carrey in the titular lead, was released just before Thanksgiving and spent four weeks at the top of the domestic box office despite critics giving it a poor reception. However, it grossed $345.8 million worldwide including $260.7 million in the US, and it has even found new life as the annual Grinchmas event at the Universal Studios theme parks in Hollywood and Orlando.
Now considered to be a classic and, by some, even better than the original film, 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York takes third place. At the time, critics gave it a negative response, and it didn’t pull in the crowds at the same level as the original. However, thanks to various reasons, including a Donald Trump cameo and the annual meme suggesting incorrectly that British media personality Piers Morgan plays the Central Park Pigeon Lady, this sequel’s popularity and pop culture influence grows year after year. The jape sees Macaulay Culkin reprise his role as Kevin McCallister as he fends off Wet/Sticky Bandits Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in the Big Apple. Notable cast editions include the legendary Tim Curry as Plaza Hotel concierge, Mr. Hector. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York grossed $358.9 million worldwide.
With a worldwide box office tally of $476.6 million worldwide, $285.7 million of which was shelled out in domestic theaters, 1990’s Home Alone takes second place. It held the top spot until 2018, but more on that soon. Home Alone was actually so popular with audiences that it stayed in theaters well past the Christmas season and was the number one film at the box office for 12 straight weeks – from its release on November 16, 1990, through the weekend of February 1, 1991. The role also made Macaulay Culkin an international star and household name overnight. Keep the change, you filthy animal.
This Animated Hit Is The Highest-Grossing Christmas Movie Of All Time
The film that dethroned Home Alone and takes the top spot is Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch. Grossing $526.7 million worldwide, and $271.3 million domestically, the animated comedy featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular iconic festive party pooper is not only the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time but also the highest-grossing Dr. Seuss film adaptation. From the same studio as the Minions and Despicable Me movies, the original plan was for Cumberbatch to use his natural British accent. However, he wasn’t down with that, and he was made American to match the rest of the cast. Audiences loved it and handed over their money in a big way, which is why it tops the list of the ten highest-grossing Christmas movies ever.
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